The Firemen's Ball (1967)

 Milos Forman's "The Firemen's Ball"

Milos Forman's 1967 film "The Fireman's Ball" bares many similarities to his previous film, "Loves of a Blonde." Specifically, each film deals in political commentary on the individual and local ecosystem of a community. This perspective is vastly different than a more macro approach, allowing to see the macro from the down up. 

One of the major differences "The Firemen's Ball" has over its predecessor is a superficial point - the color. While "Loves of a Blonde"'s black-and-white approach allowed for the film to feel very old-school realist (akin to the Italian works), "The Firemen's Ball" uses color to achieve the same realist effect. However, with a more new-school vibrancy. 

The film centers on a group of volunteer firemen attempting to put together and host an annual ball for their small town's fire department. However, as the film progresses, small disasters continue to occur that prevent the ball from running smoothly. The events that unfold are a collection of instances that illustrate the prevailing corruption of the local community, even if from well-intentioned places. 

What's more intriguing about the socio-political commentary of Forman's films are the notions that common, everyday people exemplify the pitfalls of political institutions. His characters aren't villainous by any means, they are simply immoral and apathetic to any sense of ethical adherence. The characters, even the unnamed civilians, behave badly. For example, everyone in the film is stealing all the niceties from the ball. This includes the raffle prizes, food, and the golden gift that is to be awarded to the former president of the department.

The intention of this illustration of local corruption is an attempt by Forman to satirize the communist system. The political state directly influences how people behave and how people behave directly influences the political state in return. Forman's film demonstrates the complete collapse of individual moral integrity due to the conditions of the social environment of Czechoslovak. 

Because of this direct critical depiction of a state and their people, the film faced massive controversy in Czechoslovak. Forman was facing possible charges of "economic damage to the state" and facing a 10-year prison sentence. However, after selling over 750,000 tickets, the film gained national success. This allowed the pressure off of Forman. 

"The Fireman's Ball," a very short feature, is packed with allegorical commentary on the political state of Czechoslovak at the time. The realist viewpoint of a local community sinking into individualized corruption is a direct reaction to the effect and conditions of the state. Forman deftly makes the macro into micro, giving audiences an understanding of how the large affects the small.